When does the hunger stop??

So with this new lower calorie thing...when will I stop feeling like I'm starving to death???  I don't like it.  I'm limiting to 1500 calories a day and exercising to lose 300, so technically I'm at 1200 calories a day.  Hungry.  I am constantly hungry.  It makes it very hard to eat healthy at each meal.

If anyone has any advice on this it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Shannon

Maybe you could try eating a few more calories.  I know that 1200 is "enough" but sometimes your body is hungry because it REALLY is hungry. 

Eating protein at every meal typically helps me.  You can eat a ton of egg whites for just a few calories, if you load them up with veggies or salsa and just a little cheese it will fill you up pretty well! 

I also try to eat about 6 times a day (I eat about 1600-1800 when I workout), but that gives me a good amout of calories per "meal time."  The rule of thumb I use is if I am hungry before 2-3 hrs go by I didnt' eat enough; if I'm not hungry in 3 hours then I ate too much the last time.  Pretty soon you get it figured out.  oh yea and drink at least one big glass of water with every "meal" two if you can get it down. 

Fiber...get a box of Fiber One cereal and have a 1/2 cup with a 1/2 glass of milk...if you still want more, then do it again.  About 100 calories each.

I have the same problem, and I'm in maintainence.  It's just that once you start paying attention to your calories more, you're more aware of food in general.  There are times when I've just eaten and I know I normally wouldn't be hungry, but knowing that I've got calories left in my day just makes me hungry.  Try drinking water or finding something else to do.  And make sure you're eating filling foods as well.

I try to do the several small meals thing as well.  It helps stave off the hunger.  I got used to it after about 2 1/2 weeks.  Also I take a higher calorie item and pair it with several lower calorie 'toppers'. For example, for lunch I might have shaved turkey breast and a slice of low fat cheese in a pita but then I stuff tons of raw veggies (cucumber, green pepper, sprouts, etc.) inside to help me fill up. Then I might have an apple too, which really helps round out lunch.

One other cheat trick to help me feel satisfied is I will make myself take a good sized gulp of water for like every three bites of food. I get a whole glass down that way and feel fuller to boot.

Hope this helps just a little bit. Stick with it, there are always tough periods but it does get easier with every passing day.

The first days are the hardest. Best thing would be to get something that distracts yourself from the hunger. Also make sure that your body is hungry, not your brain. If your stomach makes noises, then for sure, you need to eat something, and right now ;)

If you just have the thoughts of eating something, most likely junk, then it's your brain, and it is trying to get it's "drug" back again...

It's easy, if it's really hunger, then EAT! if you eat 100 cals a day more than you do now, then you'll lose only 1 pound less within 3 months, think of it, is this one pound really worth it?. 100 cals are 4 apples,1 large banana, one slice of whole wheat bread with some lowfat ham on it, and many more...

And one more important thing, I sure hope you didn't go down from eating, for example, 2500-3000 cals a day to 1200, that would be mad, your body would sure be hungry. You should start low, try to aim for your standard expediture, then try to lower it 500 cals under your daily needs and then add in some workouts. Trust me, that will work, and it will be much easier. At least it worked for me, I am almost never hungry, and if I am, I get an apple or a banana to be full again...

In what world do 4 apples = 100 calories?

Heh heh...  4 quarters of an apple?

A whole apple in my world is a little over 100 Calories.

same thing happend to me i would eat up to 1800. when you exersise a lot your body starts to burn more when you not exersising and thats praboly whats happening and making you hungryer. and ya know everybody is difrent so if your realy hungry not just a craving then eat. thats your body telling you it needs fuel